


A World Gone White

by Amagifu



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Erebor Reclaimed, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 01:03:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13330188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amagifu/pseuds/Amagifu
Summary: A hunting trip in the mountains takes an unexpected turn.





	A World Gone White

Blaine paused at the edge of the clearing, noting the rest of the hunters moving through the trees on the far side of the shallow channel dividing this arm of the mountain. She was pleased with what she had caught, and tonight’s dinner promised to be a delicious one.

“Ho, Blaine!”

She grinned at hearing the familiar voice, and turned slightly on her snowshoes to greet her companion. “Fili! Looks like your guess paid off for finding fowl. What did you end up catching?”

“Partridge. A tasty treat.”

The forester eyed the bird with a touch of envy. “If you have no use for those beautiful tail feathers, I'd be happy to take them off your hands.”

“I can arrange that. And how did you fare?”

In answer, Blaine held up her quarry.

“Ruffed grouse! Well done, but how did you locate him?”

The forester chuckled. “It was drumming for its mate, and made too much of a racket. Let that be a lesson for you, young prince.”

Fili laughed nervously as she clapped him soundly on the shoulder.

An owl hooted from across the gulley. The two hunters spied Thorin at the edge opposite them, calling his lead hunting party back, with Kili close behind him.

Fili slung the partridge over his shoulder, and gave his partner a wry look.

“Are you set, forester? Time to return. And just when we were catching the interesting game.”

He returned the owl call, then blinked in surprise and pointed towards the nearby evergreens.

“Blaine, look!”

They watched as songbirds and raptors alike burst from the trees, hurriedly taking flight.

The blonde dwarf mused, “My imitation of an owl is not that good, to fool them.”

A soft rumble interrupted them, a dark and deep whisper.

Fili turned to his partner, a questioning expression creasing his face. “What was that?”

The rumble, quickening, now reverberated in ominous echoes. Blaine blanched, wide-eyed with dawning realization.

“Better to ask, where was that?”

Her bones vibrated with the shaking of the world. Snapping her head around, she gawked at the upward slope of the mountain.

The landscape churned, a violent powder of white. Trees were flung aside like twigs. It was pure chaos in motion, overrunning the scenery and soon to funnel into their gulley.

Thorin and Kili were still visible near the slope's edge, their expressions equally terrified, desperation now tinting the younger dwarf’s voice as Thorin tried to tug him back up the trail.

“Blaine! Fili! To us!”

In an instant, Blaine shook her head as she felt her insides knot in despair. Too far a distance, she realized, to cross to return to them in time.

“Kili?” Fili took a quick step towards his brother, who stumbled back into his uncle’s arms.

Instinct kicked in; she grabbed Fili's arm, hauling him back to her side and pushing him further away from the crevice.

“No! Follow me!”

Blaine leapt and spun in place. With her snowshoes clear from their powdery burden, she ran as fast as she could manage while breaking a trail. Moving at a right angle to the incoming torrent, letting her focus narrow, channeling the visceral panic into action.

Screams from behind her, the sounds soon engulfed by the roar of the avalanche.

The world succumbed to the noise. No time to look, don't think, just run.

White. Snow in her eyes, in her ears, in her lungs, threatening to overwhelm her mind. 

Legs on fire, struggling to keep the snowshoes moving. Don't stumble, don't trip, just run.

After an agonizing stretch of flailing across the clearing and into the nearby evergreens, Blaine realized she could now hear herself panting. Reluctantly she began to slow down; the inability to draw breath fast enough finally forced her to halt.

Dreading what she would find, she looked behind her. The gulley had disappeared, overflowing with snow and debris. No sign or sound of Thorin or the others, but she let out a sob or relief at seeing Fili nearby, wheezing from the effort but upright.

She started to gasp a question, but a distant harsh laugh froze them both. Another guttural outburst answered.

Fili swore. “Orcs.”

Blaine couldn’t find the words to express her dismay, but they now had no time to lose. “Come on, Fili, we need to hide our trail and ourselves.”


End file.
